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The Story of African Amber - Are Those Ancient Beads Real Amber or Plastic? (Bakelite) (Copal)
January 9, 2017 Lisa Claxton
Rosanna Falabella has been a jewelry enthusiast for over 20 years and a university student and researcher since 2009. On Tuesday, January 17, 2017, she covered what she learned about real and imitation amber beads made and sold in Europe. What many people thought was a mostly scientific, and perhaps boring, presentation was certainly neither—but it was packed with information we can easily use to evaluate our own collections, as well as when we go beading in a shop, and also at bead shows. Her presentation answered many questions and may have made you less concerned about your personal collection being labeled as real amber. Many of the antique pieces of "African amber" or "Kupali amber" beads found in the commercial bead market today are actually made from thermoplastic phenol-formaldehyde resin—also known as Bakelite. Rosanna's presentation covered the history of Bakelite and the information she uncovered about the tradition of amber beads being made for and traded in Africa. The year 1909 marked the patenting of a man-made material by Leo Baekeland, who discovered a material that looked and felt like amber but didn't have the drawbacks of that element: it was harder, more durable, and didn't erode with age or heat (*micro-cracks caused by oxidation, heat, and/or UV sunlight). The bigger question is, "Where did these beads originally come from?" Historically, they entered the retail market through African traders. In the 19th century, the German chemical industry sought cheap fertilizers and textiles because it feared a shortage of natural resources like ivory due to Europe's massive population growth between 1800 and 2000. This led scientists to invent products like celluloid.
(Invented in 1856, it smells similar to mothballs.)
Celluloid was used to create everyday items such as billiard balls, piano keys, car parts, jewelry, coat buttons, umbrella handles, and decorative objects, as well as pearls, precious stones and metals, ivory, and even coral. However, it proved to be foul-smelling, highly unstable, flammable, and explosive, causing many plants to explode. Many celluloid items have since been replaced by lecithin, but today celluloid is still manufactured in China, where environmental regulations are not strictly followed. It is used in guitar hands, ping-pong balls, accordion pearls, and guitar frets. Another invention is galalite (casein), a milk byproduct created in 1895. The formaldehyde-treated resin is used for slates, whiteboards, piano keys, combs, pencils, imitation ivory, horns found in antique jewelry, buttons (because it is easily dyed), cabochons (which have replaced coral), ordinary bone, materials that imitate amber, button hooks, and dyed, faceted beads resembling bakelite.
(Thermoformaldehyde-treated phenol resin), commonly known as phenol resin, was used in the industrial production of imitation amber and beads before World War II. It served as a substitute for the hard-to-find amber and is often sold as such, especially in the African bead trade. Its ease of dyeing and carving has given artists greater creative freedom. Today, strands of polished amber-yellow beads can be found in the stalls of many African bead vendors, as well as in online stores and auction sites. They are commonly called "African amber" or "Kupali amber." If the seller is knowledgeable and knows it's not real amber, they might admit the product comes from Europe, usually Germany, and was likely manufactured between the two World Wars. These beads began appearing in America after 1970 with the importation of large, attractive, amber-like beads from Africa. This information is taken from Rosanna Falabella's excellent article in BEADS - The Bead Seekers Association Journal 2016, Vol. 28. This book, which was on sale the night of its release, is packed with additional information on the subject. Examples of her PF beads also appear on the cover.
Phenol was invented around 1834 from carbolic acid (coal tar) and smells like disinfectant or "chlorocept." What you call ink. Formaldehyde was invented in 1859 and smells like methanol. What you call PF resin, also known as bakelite, was a Belgian-American invention and the first "plastic" made from man-made chemicals. It cannot be melted because it is "thermally hardened" and resistant to heat, solvents, and other chemicals. This makes it ideal for electronic insulators, and it is manufactured inexpensively.
By 1910-1920, synthetic amber/ivory inventions were first used in jewelry and fashion. Its natural amber color makes it ideal for imitation items. Today, in 2016, the industry is worth $13 billion and has branched out into the aerospace industry. Even Fortune magazine wrote an article about this invention in March 1936. Many products were created between 1920 and 1940, such as intricately carved buckles and even today's dice. They found an old stockpile in Istanbul that is now mainly used to make Islamic prayer beads sold from Thailand and Egypt. Rosanna showed a photograph taken by Fleur Casper (a former BSNC speaker) showing bead cards she had previously discovered while researching beads made throughout Europe.
In Africa, the goal was to end internal slavery. Before 1880, Africa was a fractured land, but by 1913, the participation of nine nations had led to the development of Africa as we know it today. Another factor was that Europe was experiencing a deep depression from 1873 to 1896 and desperately needed a new market. The Sachse bead manufacturer in Jablonec nad Nisou is credited with being a major trader in the imitation of amber and ivory for the African trade bead industry, known as "Negerkorallen." As amber became increasingly scarce, and the market and prices soared, companies realized they needed to find substitute products—PF beads (bakelite), called "precious art resin," fit the bill perfectly. It is suggested that many sales were conducted without informing buyers that a substitution had taken place. The Sachse factory museum has a large display of the products discussed by Rosanna to provide evidence of her research. There were many companies operating in the amber business between the First and Second World Wars, but few afterward when art resin took over the market. Sadly, little, if any, documentation exists of the companies that were present throughout Poland, Bohemia, and East Prussia (then part of Germany), as the war changed everything.
The shapes of the beads were altered to suit the African market. The round barrels were modified. The cross was engraved so the beads would rest flat against the body, and geometric designs were burned onto the new faces, then completely reshaped into the more famous diamonds. (See the accompanying photo, which is part of Rosanna's personal collection.) The stability of phenolic resin beads allows for extreme cutting and faceting impossible with real amber. Cross-shaped "snowflakes" and diamonds have been identified as originating from Mauritania, Mali, and Morocco!
The downside is that the chemicals used proved unstable, with the color beginning to change almost immediately after formation. Sometimes mistakes happen for good, as many buyers prefer these new colors, so undesirable changes are encouraged by heat, aging, and chemical treatment. This has led to the discovery of beads in numerous shades of amber, green, almost brown to black, and even red, which has been incorrectly labeled "cherry amber." (True cherry amber is now so rare that these beads have become very expensive.) The downside is that even room temperature can initiate this color change, and it is irreversible. The biggest area of research is determining the difference between phenolic resin beads and genuine amber beads. This is done by looking at shapes, colors, the presence or absence of streaks, and density, as PF beads are 30% denser than real amber. Phenolic resin beads can also be found to have marbled appearance and surface discoloration and browning due to aging and reaction with oxygen and sunlight, but they are not affected by body oils like real amber. Now, there is even "faclette" in the African bead trade. There's a lot of fake amber on the market, but the newer beads aren't even the phenolic resin beads that are now valued in the beading world; they're sold as PF beads. Newer alkyd resin beads started appearing around 1950-1960. They have a strong "smell" and an opaque, lemon-yellow color. These beads are labeled "HIPS"—High Impact Polystyrene—and have actual mold lines as well as surface pits. Some bakelite and phenolic beads have a similar appearance but are rare.
Rosanna went into detail about several tests you can perform to check the contents of your beads. The "cymicrom test" is done by reacting the metal coating with the ammonia found in "409," which also contains 10% ammonia. However, these tests don't work if the bead has been baked to a darker color. There are also smell tests. Rosanna suggests using a bead lathe to quickly scrape off a small amount of dust that you can smell, or hot water, a hot pin (hold it with pliers), or a real flame. Different chemical experiments produce distinct odors: Bakelite gives off a musty, medicinal smell similar to carbolic acid; polystyrene and alkyd smell like plastic—take a piece from a plastic container marked recycling #6; acrylic beads will have no odor or a faint fruity scent; galalite smells like a wet dog or burnt milk; celluloid smells like camphor (Vick's Vaporub) or mothballs; amber has a pleasant pine scent and is sometimes mistaken for man-made plastics; and natural horn smells like burnt hair. The best way to identify odors is to re-pierce the beads or test them. Using a carving kit, heating, water, and an analyzer if necessary.
Written by Marilyn Peters
Translated and corrected by: Consultant Designer Mohammed Abu Jassim Al-Azza, Rukun Al-Nawader Company
Proudly published in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
This article provides a great deal of information about cobalt and bakelite, and the differences between them and other materials that are not widely known and are often confused with. (Note: Cobalt is more expensive.) Natural bakelite comes in various forms (some are similarly priced, and some are not cobalt).
(Don't forget the first Arabic book that scientifically explains the properties of these materials: our book, "Atlas of Raw Materials"). Regarding price, the latest price for natural African beads ranges between $5 and $15 per gram, and bakelite between approximately 70 cents and 15 cents. Varieties called Faturan are significantly more expensive if they are phenolic, and even more so if they are natural (amber products). We wish everyone success. You can determine prices by monitoring the Western and then the Arab markets. The value of polymer materials is determined by their age, aesthetics, and natural composition, the value of their constituent elements, and their rarity based on quantity and global availability. Please consult [the relevant source/source].
Do not copy this article without attribution. All rights reserved. M. Abu Jassim, Corner of Rarities
#AfricanCopal #Bakelite #NaturalResins #Amber #Copper #Polymers #Faturan #Sandalwood #Corba #SyntheticMaterials
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{ arabic ? 'غير متوفر حاليا' : 'Out of stock'}
